Athlete of the Month: Juan Antonio Carcel

Small but terrible. Local but of international caliber. Young but full of promise. These descriptions best fit rising Cebuano karter Juan Antonio Carcel, The Freeman’s “Athlete of the Month” honoree for March.

Carcel, an upcoming Grade 7 student of PAREF-Springdale, is one of Cebu’s brightest go-kart stars who always try to perform beyond his limits.

And if to dream is for free as some people say, then Carcel’s ultimate goal is to compete in the prestigious Formula 1 racing someday.

Just two years had passed since he fell in love with karting, Carcel has already garnered numerous trophies from local to national and even international competitions.

Last year, he placed second in an Asian karting circuit in Macau, a feat that earned him a special citation in the 25th Sportswriters Association of Cebu(SAC)-San Miguel Corporation(SMC) All-Cebu Sports Awards.

Last month, the 12-year-old Carcel and fellow Cebuano Jette Calderon posted a one-two finish in the Mini ROK class of the 2008 Shell Super Karting Series in Carmona, Cavite.

What makes Carcel’s victory more meaningful is that he pulled an upset over defending Asian champion Christian Gaddi, whom he relegated to third place.

The son of Niel and Mia Carcel, Juan Antonio clocked in 49.2 seconds to win the gold, an accomplishment that will surely inspire him to shoot for more titles in future races he will be joining. — Caecent No-ot Magsumbol